How do I create a video sitemap for my Raptive videos?

We provide an easy way to create a video sitemap for your Raptive-monetized videos.

You should only create a video sitemap and submit it through Google Search Console if you are running the Related video player and have embedded videos on your site.

If you are only running the Playlist video player, you should not submit a video sitemap.

If you've submitted a video sitemap to Google Search Console in the past and are no longer running embedded videos, remove the video sitemap from your Google Search Console account.

Method 1: Using the Raptive Ads WordPress plugin (recommended)

Step 1: In your Raptive Ads plugin settings, you’ll see a checkbox for “Video Sitemap Redirect.” Make sure this box is checked.

Video_Sitemap_plugin_setting.png

This setting creates a redirect from the listed URL (https://yoursite.com/adthrive-video-sitemap) to your Raptive-hosted video sitemap.

Step 2: Submit the URL for your video sitemap to Google.

  1. Go to Google Search Console
  2. Under Index in the sidebar, click on Sitemaps
  3. In the Add a new sitemap section, enter “adthrive-video-sitemap” in the field (as seen below) and click Submit

Video_Sitemap_Google_Search_Console.png

Note: If you are not using the Raptive Ads plugin, you can work with your host to set up a similar redirect.

That’s all you need to do! Your video sitemap will stay updated with Google through this redirect setting.

Method 2: Download your video sitemap file

You can download your video sitemap file from your Raptive dashboard and host the file on your own site.

Step 1: Navigate to the Video page in your Raptive dashboard, click on the download icon, then click “Download Sitemap” to download your video sitemap as an .XML file.

Download_Sitemap.png

Step 2: Upload the .XML file to your site and submit the URL for the uploaded sitemap to Google.

  1. Go to Google Search Console
  2. Under Index in the sidebar, click on Sitemaps
  3. In the Add a new sitemap section, enter the URL where the video sitemap is located (as seen below) and click Submit

Video_Sitemap_Google_Search_Console.png

If you choose to use this method, your video sitemap won’t update automatically with Google, so you will need to periodically download a new .XML file, reupload to your site, and resubmit the URL to Google (if the URL is different from what you previously submitted).

How do I know if my sitemap is up to date?

A video needs to be fully processed to be available for the sitemap, and newly-uploaded videos can take a few minutes to process.

If you’re downloading the video sitemap, make sure you’ve allowed enough time for your latest videos to process.

Should I include all videos in my sitemap?

Your video sitemap should only include videos that are embedded on your site. 

By default, all newly-uploaded videos are included in your video sitemap, as long as you've added an associated URL. If no URL is entered, the videos will not be included in your sitemap.

You can also choose to exclude individual videos by checking the box to “Exclude from video sitemap” on the video’s details page.

Exclude_from_video_sitemap.png

What data is included in the video sitemap?

  • Video title
  • Video description
  • Video URL
  • Thumbnail URL
  • Video duration
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